Fire extinguishing apparatus



Aug. 23, 1932- A. c. ROWLEY FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 11, 1929 a ar- Aug. 23, 1932.

A. c. ROWLEY FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 11, 1929 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 V UNITED S 'S. PA ENT OFFICE ARTHUR o. nownnsu'or PHILADELPl-IIA, rEnnsY vAnrA, Assrenon'i o GLOBE euro} MATIC SPRINKLER COMPANY, or PHILADELPHIA, BENN'SYLVANIA, .A coRroRA- TION .OF PENNSYLVANIA V FIRE nxrmeur'snnve APPARATUS Application filed. February 11,1929 Serial No. 339,173.

This invention relates to improvements in fire extinguishing apparatus of the type employing a chemically generated foam as the extinguishing medium.

More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in the foam-generating appa ratus, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a novel and generally improved accumulator in which the foamforming elements are reacted and from which the resulting foam is discharged.

Another main object of the invention is to provide a novel accumulator construction Which makes practicable the use of accumulators of any desired capacity capable of operating efficiently in'the generation and discharge of the foam.

The invention further resides in certain p novel structural and operating details including means automatically operative following operation for returning'the moving parts totheir original positions and for releasably retaining said parts therein until such time as the apparatus may again be operated.

In the drawings:

Figure -1 is a vertical section through an accumulator made in accordance with the present invention Fig. 2 is a plan view with the accumulator removed; 7

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation illustrating a detail of the invention, and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Fig. 3.

With reference'to the drawings, the accumulator in a preferred form comprises a tank or container ladapted to receive a quantity of a foam-forming material, such, for example, as powdered sulfate of alumina adtop of the mixed with bicarbonate of soda and a stabilizer,and in which this material maybe safely stored until such timeoas its use is required. For the purpose of charging the tank with the material, the latter is provided at the top with a port 2 normally closed a closure 3.

The tank 1 also has at the top a discharge port 4 through which the generated foam passes, and at the bottom adrain port 5 con nected in the present instance with a pipe 6 controlled by a valve 7. A V

' In the top of the tank is mounted aheader. pipe 8, this pipe being supported at one'end: on a bracket arm 9 secured to the side of the tank, and at the other end by an extension '11; which passes through and'is supported in the wall of the tank and through whichthe head'- er Simay be connected to an exterior source of fluid supply. At its mid section the header 2' is joined by a depending. pipe12 which con-. s-titutes the inner fixedmember of a telescoping. extensible duct, which comprises also intermediate and exterior. movable sections 13' and 14 respectively. The exterior'section14. atits lower end closely embraces a guide rod 15 which extends through the fixed section'12 and is secured at the topin the header 8. At the bottom, the rod 15extends' through the. ort 5 and is'fixed in the present instance in a T-fixture 16 of the pipe 6. As indicated at 17 ,the lower end of the telescoping pipe'section 12 is spaced concentrically with respect to the rod 15 by meansof suitable lugs or spacers so formed as not materially to interfere with the free flow through the lower end of thepipe section 12.. The lower ends of the pipe sections 12 and .1 3 are'provided with collars 18, which in con-; junction with similar collars 19 at the upper ends'o'f the movable sections 18 and 14 prevent the sections' from separating when ex tended to a maximum extent. The outer sec-' tion 14 comprises adjacent the top thereof four radially'extending hollow. arms 21 ar ranged with intervening angles of", these arms being closed at their outer ends and being provided longitudinally with a series of perforations 22 as illustrated; Water enter-- ing the header 8 and discharging through the' inner pipe section 12 will pass into the outer section 14, and therefrom through the: perforations 22 in the arms-21. The perforations 22 are formed-in one side only of-each of the arms and are so arranged that the reac tion of the discharging Water causes the en tire'section 14 to revolve, thereby uniformly distributing the water. over the .foam-form-- ing contents of the tank. 7 The pipe sections 13 and 14 are normally supported in an elevated position by means, of a latch the details of which areshown in sis" Fig. 3. The device comprises a latch element 23 held in an inclined position, as illustrated, at the inner end of a rod 24, which latter is slidably mounted in the casing, the inner end being supported upon a bracket 25 mounted on the header 8, and the outer reduced end being secured to a flexible diaphragm 26 secured in a casing 27 attached to the'wall of the container '1. The diaphragm 26 divides the casing 27 intoinner and outer chambers 28 and 29 respectively, the inner chamber 28 being in communication with the interior of the tank 1. In the outer chamber 29 is established aspring3l which normally exerts a pressure tending to force the rod 24 inwardly to the position shown in-Fig. 3. If the pressure within the tank 1 becomes greater than that exerted by the spring 31, the diaphragm 26 will be flexed outwardly, thereby effecting a withdrawal of the rod 24. In the normal position, the inner endof. the latch element 23 underlies a lip or flange 32 on the upper end of the pipe section 14 and thereby supports the sections 13 and 14in the elevated position, as set forth above. The pipe sections are released when the latch rod 24 is withdrawn, as hereinafter set forth. i

It will be noted that the latch element 23 is secured to the rod 24 through the medium of a bracket 33 and a pin 34 extending betweenthe arms of the bracket and through a slotted aperture 35 in the latch element, the bracket 33 being secured to the rod 24inwardly of the lower end of the rod-supporting bracket 25. The latch element which rests upon the beveled inner end of the rod 24 is thus free to slide longitudinally to an extent limited by the length of the slot 35, and thereby permits the pipe section 14 to. move into the extreme elevated position while the latch rod 24 is in the normal advanced position, as

shown in Fig. 3, all as hereinafter set forth.

It will be noted further that the bracket 25 is adjustable with respect to the rod 24 by reason of a set screw 36 and a slotted opening in the top (not shown) through which the rod 15 passes. By this means, the exact position of the latch element 23 with respect to the flange 32 may be regulated.

Normally occupying a position in the bottom of the tank 1 is a float 37, the float being normally slightly elevated above the bottom of the tank by means of a suitable pedestal 38. The central portion of the float 37 surrounding the rod '15 ishollow for reception of the lower portion of the pipe section 14 when the latter is in the depressed position, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. i The float 37 is free to rise in the tank under predetermined conditions to fill a function hereinafter set forth. I

In operation, the tank 1 is filled or partially filled with a suitable foam-forming substance, such as sulfate of alumina, the various moving parts in the interior of the tank being in the position shown in Fig. 1. In the event of fire, water is admitted to the header 8 through the extension 11, this water flowing downwardly through the inner pipe section 13 and upwardly in the outer pipe section 14 to escape through the apertures 22 in the radially extending arms of the latter section to come in contact with the foam forming materialin the tank. Foam is immediately generated and escapes freely through the discharge port 4, it being directed at the seat of the fire. Admission of the water to the interior of the tank and the resultant formation-of the foam increases the pressure in the tank to a point overcoming the pressure of the spring 31, thereby reflect ing a retraction of the rod 24 and latch 23 and releasing the telescoping pipe sections 13 and 14, which immediately have a tendency to drop downwardly in the tank. As the foam-forming material reacts with the water to form the foam and is gradually ex-v pended, the sections 13 and 14 are permitted to move downwardly, thereby maintaining proper relation between the distributor arms 21 and the foam-forming substance in the tank, this relation, being that affording a maximum efiiciency in the generation of the foam. The telescoping sections finally come to rest in the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 1, and following the conversion of all of the foam-forming composition, the tank gradually fills with Water, thereby causing the float 37 to rise and carry with it the telescoping sections 13 and 14. In the meantime,- the pressure within the tank by reason of exhaustion of the foam-forming substance falls and permits the rod 24 to be moved inwardly by the spring 31 so that the latch 33 is again in the advanced or operative position, as shown in Fig. 3. l Jhen, therefore, the float has elevated the telescoping sections of the nozzle structure toa sufficient extent,

the top of the flange 32 comes into contact with the bottom of the latch 33, the latter moving upwardly and ouwardly in a longitudinal direction to permit the flange to pass, and as soon as this occurs, the latch element falls back by gravity into the normal operative position to support the pipe sections 13 and 14. Thereafter, the water sup ply is cut off and the valve 7 opened to permit the water within the'ta'nk to escape, the

float moving down to the normal position in the bottom of the tank. The tank is then permitted to thoroughly dry, and is there after charged with a fresh supply of foamforming material.

The aforedescribed device provides a prac-' tical apparatus for reacting foamgenerating constituents under conditions most favorable at all times to the efficient generation and delivery of the foam, the device beingopera tive for this purpose regardless of thesize of team the container and the amount of foam-forming composition contained thereby.

I claim:

1. In a foam accumulator, the combina tion with a container for a solid foam-forming mterial, of means for introducing water into said tank including a distributor auto matically adjustable to'maintain a predetermined relation with the reacting surface of the foam-forming material, and means automatically operative on the continued flow of water after the foannforming material is exhausted for returning the distributor'to anormal initial position Within the container.

2. In a foam accumulator, the combination with a container for a solid foam-forming material, of means for introducing water into the tank including a distributor element adapted to drop by gravity as the foam-forming material is expended to thereby maintain a predetermined relation between the immediate source of fluid and the reacting surface of the material remaining in the container, and means in the tank operative on the continued flow of water after the material remaining in the container,and releasable means for locking the distributor in an elevated position.

4. In a foam accumulator, the combination with a container for a solid foam-forming material, of means for introducing a liquid into the tank including a distributor element adapted to drop by gravity as the foam-forming material is expended to thereby maintain a predetermined relation between the immediate source of fluid and the surface of the.

material remaining in the container, and means releasable by a predetermined pressure within the container for normally supporting the distributor in an elevated position.

5. In a foam accumulator, the combination with a container for a solid foam-forming material, of means for introducing a liquid into the tank including a distributor element adapted to drop by gravity as the foamforming material is expended to thereby. maintain a predetermined relation between the immediate source of fluid and the reacting surface of the material remaining in the container, and means operative on the continued flow of the fluid following exhaustion f th r oamf i g m t ri f el ratin the distributor to the normal position.

-6. Inafoam accumulatonthe combination, with a container for a solid. foam-forming matei ;'i al of means for injecting water into the container including amovable distribu tor, releasable means for normally retaining the distributor in an elevated position,-said distributorbeingadapted to fall by gravity asthe foam-forming material within the con tainer is expended ,to maintain a predetermined relation between the distributor and the reacting surface of said material, a float effective von the continued flow of water following exhaustion of the said materialin the container to elevate the distributor to the normal position, and means for exhausting the liquid contents of the container topere mitthe floatto drop to a normal position within the container. f

7. In a foam accumulator, the combination with a container for a solid foam-forming material, of means for injecting a fluid into said container including a vertically movable distributor'adapted to drop by gravity as thefoam-forming material is expended to thereby maintain a predetermined relation between the distributor and the surface of the said material,v a latch adaptedto engage thedistributor to maintain it normally in anelevatejd position, a flexible diaphragm operatively connected with said latch, and a springoperating on said diaphragm to normally retain the latch in an advanced position in which it is operative to support the distributor, said latch being retractible by pressure within the tank acting on the said diaphragm.

8. Ina foam accumulator, the combination with a container for a solid foam-forming material, of means for supplying a liquid to the interior of the container including a vertically movable and horizontally rotatable duct, and means associated with said duct for distributing a fluid over the foamforming material within the tank, said distributing means being adapted to be supported by the said material continuously in a predetermined position with respect to the reacting surface of the latter and said verti-- cally movable duct permitting movement of the distributing means to maintain said position. 1

9. In a foam accumulator, the combination with a container for a solid foam-forming material, of means for introducing a liquid into said tank including a distributor automatically adjustable to maintain a predetermined relation with the reacting surface of the foam-forming material, and means automatically operative following exhaustion of the foam-forming material for returning the distributor to a normal initial position Within the container.

10. In a foam accumulator, the combinatea tion with a container for solid foamrforming materials, said container having inthe top thereof a discharge opening, an'dliquid supply means for said container including a distributing nozzle mounted within the container and adjustable in accordance with the level of the said foam-forming material whereby to substantially maintain a predetermined relation between the said nozzle and theupper or exposed surface of said material, said discharge opening being in unobstructed communication with the material in the interior of said container.

11. In a foam accumulator, the combination with a container adapted to hold a solid foam-forming material and having at the top thereof a discharge opening, a perforated member movable vertically in the container above the level of said foam-forming material, and a liquid supply line connected with said perforated member, said member constituting a nozzle through which liquid from said supply line is projected with substantial uniformity over the exposed surface of said foam-forming material.

12. In a foam accumulator, the combination with a container adapted to hold a solid foam-forming material, of means including a distributing nozzle comprising a plurality of transversely projecting perforated arms, said nozzle being automatically adjustable to maintain a predetermined relation between the said arms and the exposed surface of the material within the container.

ARTHUR O. ROWLEY.

master 

